


Emotion is Dangerous

by TheTinKicker



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Formula One, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27914299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTinKicker/pseuds/TheTinKicker
Summary: Shortly after winning the 2018 British Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel is naturally elated but takes advice from a legend of the sport about racing mentality before his home race at Hockenheim.
Relationships: Jackie Stewart & Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen & Sebastian Vettel, Maurizio Arrivabene & Kimi Räikkönen & Sebastian Vettel
Kudos: 3





	Emotion is Dangerous

"The British crowd, the majority of them were hoping for a golden day for the Silver Arrow, it might just be a red letter day instead in the destiny of the championship as Sebastian Vettel wins the British Grand Prix and leads home Lewis Hamilton in second place!" 

The words of David Croft AKA "Crofty" were unmistakable to the British viewers as the German driver in the Italian car crossed the finish line after fifty-two laps. The Ferrari fans were predictably buzzing with red confetti and the team flags could be seen popping up amongst the crowds. It was truly an epic win for the team with both drivers stepping onto the podium, but most importantly, the top step. It had been assumed to be an easy win for the number one driver of the Silver Arrows and reigning world champion, Lewis Hamilton. However, after a botched start and contact with Ferrari's number two, Kimi Raikkonen - the fans were proved wrong. 

"Grandissimo Seb! Well done, well done!" Maurizio Arrivabene's voice buzzed over Seb's team radio. The team principal and friend to both of his beloved drivers let it sink in as he felt his colleagues cheer passionately around him and hug each other with emotion. They'd won on their rival's turf. The driver's and constructor's championships, which they'd snatched back in Austria had now been extended further. 

"Ta Ta Ta, Yes!" Seb cried into the radio with joy before following with his customary "Grazie Ragazzi! Grazie Mille!" 

He had anticipated riots to break out in the crowds on that hot July day but Sebastian Vettel realised that what Nigel Mansell had said about the Silverstone crowds was true. The cheers had broken out with confetti emerging in red, blue and many other colours of which he couldn't identify through his visor. He was too busy guiding his Ferrari SF71H around the track one last time for the cool-down lap. The crowds weren't letting up with their congratulations even with his helmet still on and engine revving. He couldn't wait to see what would happen once he was out of the car and talking as part of the post-race interviews. The British fans were just as passionate as the Tifosi were at Monza. That important home race was yet to come but now it was time to celebrate the victory in the present day. 

Seb had predicted Martin Brundle to be the one to conduct the interviews with himself, Kimi and Lewis and he wasn't wrong about the interviewer but there was an unexpected twist. Vettel placed his steering wheel above the cockpit and climbed out of the car before leaping out and into the arms of his mechanics and engineers. He then took one of the Ferrari flags and made sure the fans saw him waving it. They'd done it! There were many important races to be one throughout the season for Sebastian. Hamilton's home race in Silverstone, his own turf at Hockenheim which would be the next race on the calendar and of course Monza - the home to Ferrari and the Tifosi. One was now in the bag and Seb wanted to enjoy the moment. He and Kimi gave each other pats on the back as they removed their helmets. 

The twist came when Seb looked all around as Brundle was about to begin the interview. He squinted and wondered if the hot July sun was playing tricks on his mind. Where was Lewis? Surely he'd want to celebrate a step on the podium in front of the "greatest fans in the world"? He shrugged to himself and enthusiastically talked to Martin Brundle - an experienced racer himself, although never having won a race. There was the question of recent neck pain but Sebastian brushed it off with a shrug. He was over the finish line in P1 and that was all that mattered to him. Twenty-five points for the driver's championship and forty for the constructors. 

Then the faint boos came and Vettel had to accept the fact that it was to be expected. While he was well-aware of his far better start having jumped Lewis - he was informed over team radio that there was contact between his team-mate Kimi and Lewis Hamilton during the opening corners. The Silver Arrow had dropped to the very back and Seb wanted to commend Lewis on his storm to P2, even if it was helped by the safety car. They weren't booing him but Seb felt bad for Kimi. He knew his friend and experienced team-mate from Finland would never do such a thing intentionally. However, it had to be expected that conspiracy theories would spread like wildfire around a paddock and the grandstands. 

The interview concluded. Bernie Ecclestone and his circular sunglasses needed the show to go on. Seb and Kimi walked together with their helmets in one hand and Seb wiped his forehead but the Iceman kept as cool as ever. As long as he got his ice cream before the end of the day, Vettel chuckled to himself. Lewis had retreated to the cool-down room and Vettel was now expecting awkwardness instead of a relaxing moment before the podium ceremony. 

"You know, they're going to boo you on the podium during the anthems and trophy presentations?' Seb said as more of a statement than a question. 

"What the people feel it's up to them," the Iceman and Ferrari's last world champion shrugged. 

"Fair enough," Vettel chuckled. He had the feeling that Kimi's wife, Minttu, would be on social media shutting down any haters or furious fans of the Silver Arrows. He decided not to say anything because Kimi's attitude had not changed one bit. Seb didn't use social media, nor did he plan on starting any time soon. The life he shared with his wife Hanna and two daughters was to remain private. It was as simple as that. Seb would be finding out about any toxicity from behind the keyboards from other sources. 

During his Red Bull days, Seb had been on the receiving end of boos from the Tifosi after defeating the lead Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso in 2011 and 2013 so he understood how passionate fans from any part of the world could become. After years of dominance from Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and endless replays of the German National Anthem on the podium - the British fans would believe it was their time once more. Jenson Button in the Brawn, and now Lewis with Mercedes AMG, having won three world titles with the Silver Arrows over the past four years. Half of the Silverstone crowds were disappointed and the other half were jubilant. The latter was where Seb wanted to pay his attention. They were showing their appreciation and Seb wanted to show it back. 

#

Sebastian Vettel was crouched down in front of Loria, his beloved Ferrari SF71H. The winner of the Australian, Bahrain, Canadian Grand Prix and now the Silverstone event. An eight-point lead in the constructors and now twenty in the constructors - Scuderia Ferrari could safely leave the UK in a jubilant mood. Seb stood back up straight when he spotted Maurizio Arrivabene approaching in the Ferrari garage. Seb himself had decided to stay behind to help out the mechanics during the evening out of gratitude for their hard work. He thanked them over the radio in Italian but actions spoke louder than words. 

He smiled at Maurizio but the team principal of the Prancing Horses had brought a guest who had widened Seb's smile even further. He hadn't expected a three-time world champion who'd never driven for Ferrari to be allowed into the garage since the media certainly weren't. He had been critical of Lewis Hamilton, his own fellow countryman, which probably had earned him some brownie points with the Italians, not to mention his performances at Monza decades earlier. 

Removing his Balmoral hat, Sir Jackie Stewart smiled and shook hands with Seb, who had felt honoured whenever in his presence. A wise man who always had some advice to give, having learnt his lessons watching men he'd grown close to die horribly in racing accidents. Just two years from his eightieth birthday, the legendary Scotsman was a familiar presence on the paddock, in particular at Silverstone. 

'Congratulations on the win, Sebastian. You must be very proud of yourself, son.' 

'Thank you, Jackie. A bit unexpected but a great place to win, for sure.' 

Fearing an overly-robotic discussion, Sebastian and Sir Jackie chose to take their conversation to the track's main restaurant which was still open for mechanics from all teams. Most of the drivers would be in their caravans posting to their Instagram feeds or other social media outlets. Seb never had time for it and felt better off staying offline. Maurizio had remained with the mechanics so Seb didn't have to worry about Ferrari's watchful eye. The conversation could be more human instead of a minefield where corporate bosses had to be pleased at all times. 

The dimming summer sky outside shone through the expansive windows of the restaurant. There were mechanics from Red Bull, McLaren and Force India sitting at their individual tables in idle discussion. They weren't going to risk being photographed or filmed talking to members of another team. The last thing Formula One needed was a repeat of the infamous "Spygate" scandal. 

Vettel and Sir Jackie had chosen a small circular table and enjoyed bottles of water. The conversation had started out with Stewart's career in motorsport. Vettel's personal favourite moment of the Scotsman was the close finish to the 1969 Italian Grand Prix. Driving a bright blue V8 Matra which was powered by a Ford Cosworth engine; Stewart had ended up in a photo finish at the line with his French team-mate Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Austrian Jochen Rindt in the Lotus. Stewart ended up winning the race by one of the closest margins in history and sealed his first world championship. There was no doubt about the passion of the Italian fans, even when a Ferrari didn't win. Sir Jackie and his wife Helen Stewart had to lock themselves into the bathroom from the gathering crowds before sneaking out the window into the paddock. 

Nearly half a century later and Sir Jackie was watching a four-time world champion with a serious chance of sealing a fifth title, a first with Ferrari. A clear message had been sent to Ferrari's rivals by winning the British Grand Prix. The home track of Mercedes AMG was coming up in Hockenheim and there was no doubt that the eyes of the motorsport community would be firmly on who could cross the line first. The Silver Arrows and Sebastian himself were firmly motivated to do well in front of their home fans. 

"You'll be taking this elation into the next race and use it as some kind of motivational fuel?" Sir Jackie then asked, leaning back and folding his arms. 

Vettel nodded proudly. He had managed to use his lucky win in Melbourne at the beginning of the season to fuel his pole position streaks in Bahrain, China and Azerbaijan. He only converted one of those pole positions into a win at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. Safety cars, contact with Red Bull's Max Verstappen as well as his own mistakes had cost Seb subsequent victories in Shanghai and Baku. 

"I was afraid you'd say that," Sir Jackie sighed with a nod and then brought himself forward again to talk to Seb properly. 

Stewart made light of Vettel's choice to brake late to re-take the lead in Baku from the Silver Arrows. The Ferrari locked its front brakes and skidded straight on before rejoining the track having lost several places. He'd forgotten at the time that they were just coming off from a lengthy safety car and that his brakes wouldn't be properly warmed up. Lewis Hamilton would go on to win that race and take the championship lead before extending it at the following race in Barcelona. 

A younger Sebastian Vettel would've become defencive but he knew after effectively throwing away the championship the previous year that he had to change his mentality when it came to racing. Ferrari tended to race with their hearts but that approach could easily come back to bite them in the cruelest ways possible. The lap one crash-out and retirement in Singapore as well as the disastrous mechanical issues at the Japanese Grand Prix the previous year had become a wake-up call. Seb kept an optimistic face in front of the media but he knew deep down that Lewis would walk away with the title before the end of the season. 

Now it was 2018 and he had an even greater chance with a better car and Seb felt it was more important than ever to take the advice from a veteran of the sport. 

"Seb, son - you're racing with emotions and that can be very dangerous. When you do badly in one race it gets you down and affects your pace in the following race. At the same time, if you get too happy and overconfident after winning you'll make mistakes in the next race. Look at today for example. You've performed brilliantly and the four of you - the Prancing Horses and Silver Arrows - going head-to-head towards the final lap was extremely exciting for the spectators, including myself."

Seb smirked and nodded. 

"Hockenheim will undoubtedly be important to you personally as it's close to home so of course you want to do well and you can most certainly do well since you have the right equipment as we've seen today. The closeness to home will make emotions run high both in the cockpit and the team garage. I didn't want to say any of this in front of Maurizio in the event of causing offence. I'd probably be kicked out of the garage and denied permission to talk to you ever again."

The infamous interview in 1990 between Stewart and the late great Ayrton Senna filtered into Seb's head. After pointing out the high percentage of contact with other drivers that the young Brazilian had racked up in his career - Sir Jackie was met with the famous quote, "if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you're no longer a racing driver." It wasn't an unjustified question from Sir Jackie, however - since Senna had just taken out his championship rival Alain Prost at the Japanese Grand Prix and effectively taken the 1990 title. Some could argue it was in retaliation for the political fiasco at the same track the previous year in which Senna was kicked out of the race results by the stewards and Prost was given the 1989 championship. 

The bottom line was that Stewart wasn't afraid to raise his concerns and speak out when it ultimately mattered. Many of the safety advances in the sport wouldn't have come about if Stewart and his fellow competitors hadn't stood up to the establishment. Deaths such as those of Jochen Rindt and Francois Cevert, both of whom were close friends to Sir Jackie, had led to such revolutions in the Formula One circus. 

"My advice, son is this,' Sir Jackie began. "You can wave to the crowds and appreciate your fans and their passion. When the helmet comes on however and you're strapped into the seat - the only thing that matters is staying in first place and keeping the car cleanly on the track. Once you're over the finish line again you can go back to being happy and over the moon in the moment but it has to be toned down again for the next race. You have to remove emotion from the equation because emotion is the most dangerous thing you can have in motorsport." 

Vettel sighed and nodded in agreement. Emotion certainly was dangerous in any situation, not just in racing. If he ended up making a dreadful mistake in front of his home crowd or suffering a retirement of his own doing - he wondered deep down if he'd ever recover mentally from it. He had his chance and it was well within his grasp and he wasn't going to let the title fight go. Dominating the first half of a season like he did this year and in 2017 was one thing but there was still the second half. As frustrating as it was losing to Lewis Hamilton on many occasions, the respect Seb had for Hamilton's utter consistency could not be ignored. Points decided championships, not race wins or DNFs alone. 

Germany wasn't on the calendar in 2017 but it was now and Seb considered it his golden opportunity. To win Silverstone, Hockenheim and Monza in the same year that he would seal his first title with Ferrari would be the very definition of "epic" in his head. 

"Sebastian, son - remember that there are only two options in motorsport. You can either win or you can finish first, it's your choice. Try to take in what I've just told you and you'll be a wee bit better in the title fight. Tell you what, bring back the championship trophy and I'll let you drive the '69 Matra around Brands Hatch." 

"Deal," Seb chuckled. 


End file.
